Douglass caregiver faces jail for stealing from elderly

COURTHOUSE — Prosecutors have reserved a bed in jail for a Douglass (Mont.) thief who “took advantage of people in their 80s and 90s” while working as a caregiver.

Reece Eric Thomas, 25, of the 100 block of Eagle Court, was sentenced in Montgomery County Court to nine-to-23 months in the county jail, to be followed by four years’ probation, after he pleaded guilty to felony charges of theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property in connection with incidents that occurred between December 2011 and January 2012.

Judge William R. Carpenter, who accepted a plea agreement in the case, ordered Thomas to report to the jail on April 23 to begin serving the sentence.

Assistant District Attorney Jesse S. King sought jail time against Thomas, noting that Thomas preyed on elderly victims.

Advertisement

“He was hired as a caretaker and took advantage of people that were in their 80s and 90s. They trusted him and he went behind their backs and stole thousands of dollars of property from them,” King said. “It’s as heinous as it can get when it comes to a theft.”

The judge said Thomas also must pay a total of $36,364 in restitution to the victims. Thomas is eligible for the jail’s work release program during his incarceration.

An investigation began on Jan. 16, 2012, when relatives of an 80-year-old woman residing at the Frederick Mennonite Home on Big Road in Upper Frederick notified state police at Skippack that someone stole four rings, a gift card and cash from the woman’s residence, according to the criminal complaint. The total theft was estimated at $5,990, court papers indicate.

“She was under the care of Thomas at the time this occurred,” state police Trooper Barry Bertolet alleged in the arrest affidavit.

A day later, a 90-year-old woman residing at the same facility reported to police that a pair of diamond earrings and gold necklaces, valued at about $1,300, went missing from her residence while she was under the care of Thomas, according to the criminal complaint.

On Jan. 20 and Jan. 22, two other elderly women residing at the facility reported various items of jewelry were stolen from their residences while they were under Thomas’ care, police alleged.

When Thomas initially was interviewed by police he denied any involvement in the jewelry thefts. However, during a later interview Thomas admitted lying during his first statement and subsequently “admitted that he was the one that had committed these thefts,” Bertolet alleged in the arrest affidavit.

During the investigation, detectives determined that Thomas had given a pair of the stolen earrings as a gift to his then girlfriend, according to the arrest affidavit.

State police also became aware of a separate investigation conducted by East Coventry Township Police concerning a theft of $50 from an 88-year-old woman who resided at Manatawny Manor and while she was under the care of Thomas, court documents indicate. Thomas subsequently admitted to stealing the money from the Manatawny Manor resident, police said.

Bertolet alleged that at no time did any of the victims give Thomas permission to take their belongings, nor give permission for him to sell and keep the proceeds from the sales of their jewelry.

Confronted with his crimes, Thomas also admitted to stealing jewelry and other items, with a total value of $17,434, from a home on East Buchert Road in Douglass (Mont.) in December 2011, according to the criminal complaint.

Additionally, Thomas admitted to collecting about $240, for a charity that provides research for sudden infant death syndrome, from several Douglass (Mont.) residents but “kept the money instead of turning it in for its lawful purpose,” according to the criminal complaint.